Rohit Sabnis counsels clients on litigation matters in numerous areas, including environmental, product liability, commercial disputes, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), food and beverage, and California's Proposition 65. He successfully handles complex matters involving single and multiple plaintiffs, coordinated proceedings and class actions, and serves as lead trial counsel for a wide variety of clients, from small privately held companies to national corporations. Rohit has extensive civil litigation experience in state and federal trial courts, appellate courts, and before administrative agencies. 

Rohit defends clients in California Proposition 65 enforcement actions involving the alleged failure to provide warnings for numerous listed chemicals and regularly provides advice and counsel on compliance issues. In addition, he defends clients against government enforcement and administrative actions, including those brought by the California Environmental Protection Agency, District Attorneys, and the California Attorney General. He represents product manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and premise owners in personal injury claims involving occupational and environmental exposure to various chemical products, as well as property owners and operators in private and government environmental clean-up actions. Rohit’s litigation experience also extends to various commercial matters such as antitrust, breach of contract, unfair competition laws, trade secret disputes, insurance coverage, and fair debt collection practices.

Prior to joining Keller and Heckman, Rohit was a partner at a business counseling and litigation firm. Between his undergraduate work and his attending law school, he worked as a laboratory research assistant at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.  

Rohit is frequently invited to speak and write in various forums. He has authored numerous articles in publications, including Oakland Business Review, Defense Research Institute, and the ABA Newsletter. 

Representative Matters

• Attained successful resolution of Proposition 65 matters, including those involving alleged presence of acrylamide in food products and bisphenol A in movie theatre tickets  
• Obtained favorable resolution of California agency enforcement action involving alleged violations of environmental pesticide regulations
• Defended property owners and operators in private and government environmental clean-up actions
• Granted summary judgment in favor of product manufacturer in federal toxic torts case  
• Prevailed at the Ninth Circuit of Appeals, resulting in published decision clarifying ADA pleading standards (See Whitaker v. Tesla Motors, Inc., 985 F.3d 1173 (9th Cir. 2021))
• Obtained voluntary dismissal of client in ADA website accessibility claim
• Granted summary judgment in favor of national retail client as to all claims in ADA matter involving alleged non-compliant transaction counter
• Obtained voluntary dismissal of financial services provider in putative class action brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) 
• Secured successful resolution of matters through summary judgment, trial, and tenders of defense

Memberships

• Alameda County Bar Association
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)